Dimming an appliance module


I posted this to the comp.home.automation newsgroup in January 96. Note that the person posting the question was doing it tongue in cheek.

>From: dshaw@cs.jhu.edu (David Shaw)
>Okay, then is there any way to hack an appliance module to do dimming? :)

Try any one of these:

- Use an axe (you did say 'hack').  Warning, result unpredictable.
- Try PWM.  One second on, one second off -> about 50% brightness.
- Try some dark spectacles - light will look dimmer.  No X-10 needed!
- Have the appliance module control a Rube Goldberg device to change the
  bulb to a larger / smaller wattage.
- Hold the appliance module in front of the lamp to block the light.
- Squint properly while sending dim/bright commands to the appliance module.
- Replace the relay in the appliance module with a TRIAC circuit.
- Wire a resistor across the relay contacts.  Relay open -> dim light, relay
  closed -> bright light.
- Use the appliance module to control a load that sucks so much current that
  it makes the lights go dim.
- Send dim commands to appliance module and repeat to yourself: it is getting
  dimmer, it is getting dimmer, it is....
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